The Royal artillery museum based in Greenwich, London takes delivery of a 38 foot long 40 tonne coastal defence gun.
Artillery developed rapidly during the second half of the nineteenth century and as the guns mounted on ships became more powerful, so did the guns placed to protect against them. The inch ( cm) gun was first designed to be mounted on Royal Navy ships but was adapted for use on land to counter long-range attacks by enemy battleships and cruisers. It represents the pinnacle of coastal gun development in terms of accuracy and sophistication. Gibraltar’s inch guns were first installed in 1902, could fire a shell weighing 380lb over a range of 16 miles ( kilometres) and remained in service into the 1950s when they were finally replaced by guided missile systems.
Size: 5126px × 3411px
Location: Greenwich London
Photo credit: © Jada Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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